Internal-combustion engine.



A, L; BIKER. INTERNAL'OOIBUSTIOWENGINE;

A|' Pl.l6ATl0|l In" ML! 21. IDII.

' Patented June 12, 1917,

? SHEETS-SHEET I.

Mfr 18.5.5834

A. L. RIKER. v INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION man 'JuLY 27.1911.

Patented June 12, 1917.

2 SNEETSSNEET 2.

lllH

\lilllll|Illlllllllllllllllllll llll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW I4. BIKER, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE LOCOMOIBILE COMPANY OF AMERICA, 01 NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J11 119 12, 1917.

Application filed July 27, 1911. Serial No. 840,770.

To'all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW L. Run-.11, a citizen of the United States, and 'a resident of Bridgeport, coiinty of Fairfield, State of 6 Connecticut, (whose post-office address is ldiings, isa specification, like characters on the \drawings representing like parts.

'lihis' invention relates to internal combustion engines and particularly to the means for controlling the admission of fuel to the cylinder and the exhaust of the waste gases therefrom.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying illustration ofone specific embodiment thereof, while its scope will be more par-' ticularly pointed out in the appended claims. g i

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation taken through one cylinder of a double (.zylinder engine, the latter equipped with one form of my invention;

- Fig. 2 is a plan in section taken on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view ofja piston ring preferably employed in the described form of inventlon;

Fig. 4 an elevation of the same piston Fig. 5 is a detail in elevation showing the construction of the cylinder port;

Fig. 6 is a, longitudinal section in elevatiQn taken through a two-cylinder engine '49 embodying the valve construction shown in admission stro e;

Fi 7 is a section in planshowing the relation betweenithe valve and the cylinder ports when the piston is at the point shown in. Fig. 7; V,

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are sectional elevations partlyl diagrammatic similar to Fig.7 showmg t e p ston andwalve in different positions; and? Figs. 8, Wand 10*are sections in plan corresponding respectively to the positions of the piston and valve shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10.

Referring to the drawings and particularly to the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. l, the engine there illustratem'l is provided with a fixed main cylinder 1 supported upon the crank casing 2. A piston 3 is provided connected by the connecting rod 4: to the crank 5 and crank shaft 6. The rear end of the cylinder is closed by the cylinder head 7 which is bolted or otherwise fixedly secured to the end of the cylinder forming a gas tight joint and a gas tight closure for the end of the cylinder. The cylinder head has the portion 8 which projects into the rear end of the cylinder leaving an annular space between the same and the cylinder walls and has also the centrally arranged spark plug 9. The cylinder and cylinder head are both provided with the usual water jacket 10.

In order to provide of the gaseous fuel to the engine cylinder and 'n'eferahly also to provide for a free exhaust of the waste gases therefrom, port n'ieans. are provided which are prolonged for a distance preferably equivalent to the ma jor portion of the pistontravel. While such portsxneans might be embodied in a single continuous port or a series of variously positioned ports, herein is an intake opening provided by means of a port extending substantially the "full distance of pistorn travel interrupted only by bridge pieces provided for the iurpose of adding mechanical strength to--t1e cylinder wl'iere it is thus cut away. The port opening thus provided is rendered progressively available by the piston during itstravel, so that, whenthc piston is near the forward end of the cylinfor a free "admission ter is provided with a' port opening 'shownin Fig. 5 extendin a roximatel g PP y the full length of the piston traverse that in the forward position of the piston (shown in full lines in Fig. l) the upper edge of the piston overlies approxiinat ely the lower edge of the port 12 while in the rearward position of the piston (shown in dotted lines in Fig. .l) the upper edge of the piston overlaps the top ot the port l2 by a slight amount. llie port 1; is separatedhy one or more lutidge pieces 12-) (Fig. 5) so thatthe eyli nler, walls need not be unduly weakened by this prolonged port opening.

The ex; inst. pipe is represmited at H and this communicates with an exhaust space or-chanilmr. similar to the admission chainher and opening into the cylinder through a prolonged port 15 similar in respect to its longitudinal extent to the adn'i'ission port hut oll'set. theret'roin by approximately 30'.

As will be observed. the prolongetl admission and exhaust ports 1; and 15 are relr dered progressively available or progressively unavailable by the piston as the latter ntoves l'orwaril and bark respta-tivel To render the :ulnii'ssion amt exhaust ports eli'eetive at appropriate times that to say to uncover and revel the same at surh points in'the-] )iston.stroke that the engine will operate as a t'o-ur-oyrle engine. valve means are provided which positively open and. elosethe admission and exhaust ports during the reeiprorations of the piston. Y

\Vhile other lorms of valve might be eniployed, herein 1 utilize tor that purpose slide valves and. preferably employ a single segmental valve. having an are-shaped form so that the same. may be interposed as a sleeve betweei'rthe lixed cylinder 1 and the piston and by suitable actuating mechanism. he caused to uncover the ports at the required times;

\Vhile'other terms of sleeves might be employed, herein l. have utilized a large, slide valve sleeve 16 adapted to turn and heroin. rotate continuously within thev [ixed cylinder 1 and to serve as the actual evlinder within which the piston has sliding inov-ement. .'\s shown herein, the sleeve e.\'- tends tor the liull length 01 the cylinder, the

upper port-ion heing rontained between the walls of the cylinder and the inwardly projtu'tinghead portion 8 the being provided between the head portlon t and the sleeve t prevent the leakage ot gases under roinpression or tiring.

The lower part ol the sleeve has an annular-llange '18 which rests upon the thrust hearing it) carried by the crank ease, the upper side ot' the llange having attached thereto the hardened steel annular ring 20 engagii-igwith the lined anuula r riug "ll seriuied to the. cylinder. The peripherv of the llauge is '-ov-ided with gear teeth 22. which (see lfig. t3) mesh with the pinion 22) rarrie' l' by the stud. shalt El. the latter driven [-ro-in the. rrank shaft by either spiral or bevel gears 25 and 26. The sleeve 16' is turned at a rate of one revolution for each two revolutions of the crank shaft.

interineshing engagement of its gear 22" with the gear teeth 22 of the sleeve 16. ()bviously the sleeve-1.0 being driven in a reyerse direction, the relation of the ports in the cylinder will also be reversed. It will be evidentthat an engine composed of any desired number of eylint'lers may be construeted upon the same principle, the valve tor eaefli successive cylinder being turned by intermcshing engagement with the gear teeth for the, preceding cylinder sleeve. i

The walls of the sleeve 16 are closcal ex cept for a single port or succession. of ports it. These constitute in ett'eet a single'port coextensive in length with the admission and exhaustports 12 and 15 and of substantially the saute width as the exhaust port.

To increase the mechanical strength of the I sleeve the port 27 is sub-divided into a series of openings separated by t he bridge pieces 28. The latter are preferably int-lined as shown so that the piston and piston. rings will readily slide over the same.

111 order further to insure non interferenee l e.tween the piston and the ports 27, the former is provided with piston rings 2i) of special construction. .\s shown in Figs. 3 and t the piston ring 29 instead of being split along a plane inclined to the planeot' the ring is split along the plane 30 which substantially tangential to the inside circumference of the .rin and the rin s are so placed in the piston that the line of separation is related to the direction of the sleeve as indicatedhy the arrow in Fig. 3. Through tion of the sleeve cannot open or otherwise of rotation this provision the rota-- eonfiiet' with the separated edges of the rin l n l igs. 7 to 1,0, inclusive, 1 have indirated the ditterht positions which the valve assumes in ditt'erent positions of. the piston.

in Figs. 7, and 7 the valve and piston are shown in positions which they occupy during the. admission stroke. At the end of the, exhaust stroke the port27 starts'to uncover tllt} ittlllll$'l()l1 port '12 and, as the piston moves li()'1'\\"ulf(l, 1t renders available an inrrtaisingextent of the adnn'ssion port 'operr' iug. By the time the piston has completed.

halt of its forward stroke, and therefore whenit is moving at its maximum velocity the entire-width of the admission port has been tuu'overtal h the valve. The adnns sion port opening is profitably. continued forthe entire dis'tanre of piston travel so that it availahle totftheentirc piston. stroke. The cylinder .port' and the/ a" port may 'he so proportioned, t el admission portat any llLillfLtLtlQ-lb valve is shown during in I have shown the proportions suchthat it is closed an instant or two'after the termination of the forward or admission stroke of the piston, although it may be kept open still longer or caused to close earlier if desired.

It will be observed that the provision of this prolonged der space behind the piston with gaseous fuel as rapidly as the piston advances and that the gases are brought into the cylinder transversely behind the piston and it is unnecessary to cause them to deflect or bend after entering the cylinder tofollow up the. piston as the latter tion or bending of, the gaseous fuel supply vwhen the latter admitted through ports at the rear of the cylinder tends to retard admission and is a frequent cause of incomplete admission and an ineflicient cycle. As above stated in the described form of engine the maximum portopening is obtained at the maximum piston velocity and the size of the port opening varies approximately with the piston speed and therefore is automatically proportioned to the requirements of admission.

In Figs. 8 and of the valve on the compression stroke which follows admission. It will be observed that near the completion of this stroke and at the rom mencement of the firing stroke which follows. when the highest pressures are reached. the port opening '17 of the valve is well displaced from the cylinder ports 12 and 15 so that leakage is effectively provided against. Preferably also the piston in its rearward position slightly overlaps the edges of the valve port :7 and the cylinder ports 12 and 15 so thaL under the conditions'of maximum pressure in the explosion chamber additional protection is had against leakage.

In Fig. 9 conditions are represented during the firing or working stroke. The valve is here shown as moving toward the exhaust position but still covering the exhaust ort.

In Figs. 10 and 10 the position 0 the the succeeding rearward or the exhaust stroke. The valve is shown as uncovering the exhaust port 15 at approxin'iately the end of the firing stroke and maintaining it open for the entire length of the exhaust stroke. As in the case of the admission stroke, the amount of valve opening at any given time is approximately proportional to )iston speed and at the commencen'ient of the exhauststroke the entire length of exhaust port opening is available being progressively covered however, by the piston as the latter moves back and the necessity for a large port opening decreases.

lt will be observed that the location and proportions of the valve ports and the cylinder port may be variously chosen as it may port opening fills the cylin-' 8 is indicated the position substantially be required to advance or retard or increase or reduce the exhaust or admission. The proportions shown are merely for the purposes of illustration.

\Vhile the principles of the invention may be carried out in various ways and by the use of various forms of valves the form as shown is particularly advantageous since it is mechanically simple both as to its construction eliminates reciprocating parts.

While for the purposes of illustration I have here shown and described one form of the invention, it is to be same is submitted for illustrative purposes only and that extensive deviations maybe made therefrom without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims:

1. An internal combustion engine having a cylinder, a piston, a prolonged port opening in said cylinder extending for substantially the distance of piston travel and adapted to be rendered progressively available or unavailable by piston movement, and means apart from said piston for opening and closing said port opening.

2.' An internal combustion engine having a'cylinder, a piston, a succession of admis-' sion ports extendingsubstantially the entire length of piston travel and adapted to be rendered progressively available by movement of the piston and means-apart from the piston for uncovering said ports on each alternate forward stroke ofthe piston, but for closing them on the; succeeding for ward and the intermediate reverse piston strokes. '3. An internal combustion engine having a cylinder, a piston, a succession of admission ports in said cylinder extending for substantially the entire distance of piston travel and adapted to be rendered progressively available by the piston on forward movement thereof, and means for opening and closing said ports independently of the piston. y

4. An internal combustion engine having a cylinder, :1. piston, a succession of admission ports in said cylinder extending for the entire distance of piston travel and adapted to be rendered progrestivcl'y available by the piston on forward movement thereof, and means comprising a ported rotary sleeve for coming and closings'aid portsindependently of the piston. 5. An internal combustion engine having a cylirlder, a piston, a succession of ports in said cylinder extending for substantially the distance of piston travel and adapted to rendered progressively available by the piston, a ported slide. valve between the piston and cylinder adapted to uncover said cylinder ports and a piston ring for said piston split along a planetransverse to the and its actuating mechanism and understood that the:

:unl the c vliniler :nul mlnptml to nnrovvr said. cylinder intnlo: port's during one :l'or ward movement of H10 pinion while. innini'uining'tlio mum rowruil during the nnxk forward stroke and the ini'ernnnlintu reverse: strolws ljllvrcof.

1n tvsliniony whereof I: have signed in) nunio to this simciliczniion, in the px'crencc of lwo subscribing witnvmw:

ANDREW L. BIKER.

Wi messes "M. S. TERI, J12. q 7 B. J. LONNOLLY. 

